Category: Prompts

  • What’s the latest? Prompt #348

    Things are settling down at Cullen Corner after the Holidaze. I hope everything is going well for you.

    It’s been quiet here on The Write Spot Blog on account of the holidays: Decorating, undecorating, traveling to be with family, having family here, watching Hallmark holiday movies, watching Doc Martin and The Amazing Mrs. Maisel  ( highly recommend), the usual December-January busyness.

    Since I last posted, I changed the title on the recently published The Write Spot: Discoveries to better reflect the contents.

    New title, same contents:  The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Discoveries.

    Now, I’m working on the next anthology. I hope you are active with a project that you enjoy.

    Today’s prompt:  What’s the latest?

    I’m loving all the wonderful reviews of Discoveries. Here’s the latest review of Discoveries.

    Review by Diana McCurdy in The Sonoma County Gazette, founded by Vesta Copestakes.

    Book Review: The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Discoveries

    Book groups proliferate so why not writing groups? That old beatnik, pre-hippie poet, Kenneth Rexroth said, “Against the ruin of the world, there is only one defense: the creative act.” And with so much unease in our society, with threats of war, polarization of political ideologies, hurricanes and fires why not diffuse some of that negativity by creating? Let us write stories, and poems, and essays, perhaps to stave off some ruin and stay semi-sane at least.

    Marlene Cullen is the creator of Jumpstart Writing Workshop. In a comfortable, non-threatening atmosphere, participants write and write and write. Their products turned out be so compelling that she wanted to share them with all of us. She has assembled a charming anthology entitled Discoveries. Discoveries is a compendium of all different kinds of creative acts and for each selection the creative process is described in detail.

    Writers are given a “prompt.” At the end of each piece we are told exactly what the inspiration was. For example, one writer recounts a comic interlude with a recalcitrant Weber BBQ. The impetus for this was, “write about a leap you have taken.” At the end of each author’s section there is a mini-biography and some words of encouragement that describes their process.

    Part of the delight elicited by this collection is the disparate range of topics. This little book includes something for everyone’s preferences. Subjects include old-fashioned laundry rituals, the great hot lunch, cold lunch school dilemma, hormones, romance, gloves and soap.

    The ending segment reads like a lesson plan to start a writing group of one’s own. There are hints on what to do if your creative juices are stuck, a list of prompts and a generous bibliography. Entries are short and in our busy, very busy lives it is easy to pick up the book and read a few inclusive selections and then put it down for another day to discover a different author’s work. Available on Amazon.com,

    Diane McCurdy was born in Santa Rosa.  Her dad had ranches so she learned the value of hard work at an early age.  She has a BA from SF State and an MA from SSU in English Literature and several teaching credentials, two grown children and three cats. She’s been  all over Europe, Mexico, Hawaii and visited schools in Japan and China and stayed with relatives in Brazil.  Diane has a lifelong interest in film.  Her mother met her father when she was selling tickets at the box office of her father’s theater, the first motion picture house in Sonoma County.  

     

    Marlene C

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  • Strongly affected. . . Prompt #347

    Today’s writing prompt is a visualization . . . then the prompt. Set yourself up for an uninterrupted twenty minutes. Get comfortable. Have your writing implements nearby . . . paper and pen or computer.

    Settle into your chair. Feet flat on floor. Hands relaxed.

    Rotate shoulders in a circle. Reverse direction.

    Stretch arms out in front. Arms overhead. Arms to the side.

    Take a deep breath in. Hold. Let go.

    Feel your feet connected to the floor. And that connection goes down into the earth, way down, deep down, to the center of the earth.

    Firmly planted, deeply rooted.

    Feel the connection up your legs, through your calves, into your knees.

    Feeling connected up into your thighs.

    Completely relax into your chair, letting go of all tension that might be in your legs and thighs.

    Just let go.

    Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

    Let your hands go limp. Feel the relaxation travel up your arms and into your shoulders.

    Take a nice deep breath in and bring your shoulders up to your ears. And then let them down with a loud hrumph sound. Another deep breath in, shoulders up and down with the outward breath.

    Relax deeper into your chair. Let your stomach muscles relax. Let your shoulder relax.

    Feeling completely supported in your chair, feel the connection to the earth. Feeling connected to the center . . . the core of the earth. Your connection goes deep.

    Relax your neck muscles. Loosen your jaw. Just hang loose.

    Let your head drop forward on your chest. Just rest there a moment.

    Rotate your head in a circle. Opposite direction.

    Deep breath in. And deep breath out.

    We’re going to do a bit of exploration now . . . scanning memories.

    Sitting comfortably in your chair, scan your relatives for the person who affected you the least.

    Next, a relative who affected you the most.

    Now, a friend who strongly affected you.

    What are some of the emotions that came up for you?

    Go a level deeper.

    Which friend or relative affected you in a way that surprised you?

    Prompt: Write about that time.

    Marlene C

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  • Family Motto . . . Prompt #346

    If you had a family motto, what would it be?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Marlene C

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  • Un-do, un-see, un-know. Prompt #345

     

    Write about something you wish you could un-do or un-see or un-know.

    You can use this prompt to write about yourself, someone you know, or write how your fictional character would respond.

    Just write!

    Marlene C

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  • Promises not kept. Prompt #344

    Write about promises not kept.

    Marlene C

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  • Someday . . . Prompt #343

    Today’s Writing Prompt:  Someday . . .

    I like the possibilities this prompt suggests, perhaps an opportunity for reflection.

    Note from Marlene: Write whatever comes up for you. Trust the process of free writing. Write with no worries about the outcome. Write for yourself with no cares about the end product. Just Write!

    Photo by Christina Gleason.

    Marlene C

  • Super Power. . . Prompt #342

    If you could have a super power, what would you choose?

    Why did you choose that super power?
    What would you do if you had that super power?

    Marlene C

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  • Onomatopoeia . . . Prompt #341

    Using sound in our writing can be a way to add richness and memorable descriptions to our prose.  For this writing, first think of some sounds . . . . a train whistle . . . a fog horn . . . a cat’s meow . . . someone calling for help.

    Take a few minutes, if you can, to listen to the sounds around you right now. Think of some other sounds . . . the fizz from a carbonated drink being opened, the intake of breath when someone is surprised.

    As Jay Heinrichs says in the October 2011 issue of The Writer magazine, “Onomatopoeia:  Words that go splat”:

    “The Greeks came up with [onomatopoeia], which means ‘made-up name.’ The ono is an echo, imitating a sound for action.

    The ono . . . is a great way of bringing life to your storytelling. Things do not go “oops” in the night; they go bump. A master storyteller uses onos to make an audience feel the action.

    Include sound effects in your own stories. Rather than ‘He hit his head on the beam’ use ‘He cracked his head on the beam.’”

    Your turn . . . . the first prompt is an idea from Henrichs’ article, use sound in your writing:

    Prompt:  Pretend to sell a used car or a building or jewelry or clothing or a concept or an idea, or any item using words that match the item.

    Prompt: The one that got away.

    Marlene C

  • A tradition involving your grandparents. Prompt #340

    “As the years slip past, we become more and more aware of what’s really important in life. With every passing season, we see more clearly and know more surely that the love and traditions a family shares are treasures beyond value.” — A Grandparent’s Legacy: Your Life Story in Your Own Words by Thomas Nelson

    It occurs to me (Marlene) that we think our lives are boring. We think “No one wants to hear about me.”

    But. . . aren’t you curious about your grandparents and your ancestors? Maybe you are lucky and know all about them. If you are like me, you know little about your family that came before you.

    So, write your stories. Write stories about your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles. I bet someone will be interested. I bet more than one person will be interested.

    Write about a tradition involving your grandparents. Or about anyone in your extended family.

    Just Write!

    Marlene C

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  • Favorite outfit or school uniform . . . Prompt #339

    Write about a favorite childhood outfit – dress, pants, top or favorite childhood dressy outfit – on what occasions would you wear it?

    Or write about school uniform.

    Marlene C

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